CHILD & TEENAGE THERAPY

Sometimes it is hard to find words to express trauma or pain, but therapy allows the child to use therapeutic techniques to express themselves.

“Therapists strategically utilize therapy to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings” (Gil, 1991).

Through child and teen therapy, they learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Therapy provides a safe psychological distance from their problems and allows the expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to their development.

Our therapist sets limits to keep themselves and the child safe and to move toward the healthy expression of emotion.

There are an overwhelming amount of benefits to engaging children / teens in therapy. Therapy is a great method of counseling for kids as it helps children to:

Become more responsible for behaviors and develop more successful strategies.

Develop new and creative solutions to problems.

Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.

Learn to experience and express emotion.

Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.

Learn new social skills and relational skills with family.

Develop self-efficacy and thus a better assuredness about their abilities.

Research suggests Child / Teen therapy is an effective mental health approach regardless of age, gender, or the nature of the problem, and works best when a parent, family member, or caretaker is actively involved in the treatment process.

Child / Teen therapy is a good technique in the following situations:

Behavioral problems, such as anger management, grief and loss, divorce and abandonment, and crisis and trauma.

Behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), autism or pervasive developmental, academic and social developmental, physical and learning disabilities, and conduct disorders.

Depending on the age of your child, you may be very involved in your child’s therapeutic treatment, or simply receive more general updates from your child’s therapist regarding their work together. Typically the older the child, the more beneficial it can be for therapy to be a “safe space” where your child can be honest about processing thoughts, emotions and feelings apart from a parent or caregiver. Please keep in mind that certain laws apply to children of certain ages in the state of NC, which may also impact how much we can share, although we strive to partner with you to the best of our ability.

Please note: if therapy is being requested for a child and there is a parenting plan, custody agreement, or any other type of court documentation in place regarding the care or placement of the child (such as foster care), we are required to request copies of this documentation and in most cases, attempt to collect signatures from the biological parents or legal guardian that has medical decision making rights, before the child can begin therapy with us. For more info. on this please request during the consultation.